DEEP SKY OBSERVING
June 2008
by Mark Wagner

Targets are rated 1 to 4 for challenge, with 1 very easy, 4 most difficult. All objects are within a one hour of right ascension, north to south, in the east at astronomical dark. Available as a Megastar .obs file or Excel spreadsheet.
 Rating
  Object  Const.  Type
Size 
Mag 
R.A. 
Dec. 
2
 Arp 185 UMi GX
3.0'x2.4'
11.8B
16 32 38
78 11 56

 

NGC 6217 - fairly bright, fairly large, elongated 2:1 NW-SE, ~2.5'x1.5', small bright core. 
4
 HCG 84 UMi GX6
0.7'x0.4'
15.4B
16 44 22
77 50 20
Six observed in 24" f/4.5.  Three brightest seen in smaller aperture.
2
 N6340 Dra GX
3.2'x2.9'
11.9B
17 10 24
72 18 16

 

Fairly bright, moderately large, slightly elongated,prominent bright core, stellar nucleus with direct vision.
3
 Arp 293 Dra GX
1.5'x1.4'
14.1P
16 58 31
58 56 13

 

NGC 6286 - fairly faint, fairly small, very elongated 3:1 SW-NE, bright core. Forma close pair with N6285 
3
 N6155 Her GX
1.3'x0.8'
13.2P
16 26 08
48 22 01
Moderately bright, fairly small, elongated NW-SE, broadly concentrated halo. 
2
 NGC 6229 Her GC
4.5'
9.4
16 46 48
47 31 40
Bright, fairly small, very bright core, faint mottled halo.
3
 N6239 Her GX
3.3'x1.2'
12.9B
16 50 05
42 44 22
Moderately bright, moderately large, oval NW-SE, bright core.
4
 AGC 2197 Her GXCL
89.6'
13.9
16 28 12
40 54 00
14 members seen in dark sky with 18" f/4.5.
3
 N6166 Her GX
2.2'x1.5'
12.8B
16 28 38
39 33 05
Fairly faint, fairly small, elongated, broad concentration. Brightest and largest of seven galaxies in Abell 2199
3
 AGC 2199 Her GXCL
89.6'
13.9
16 28 36
39 31 00

 

Centered on bright NGC 6166, a total of 14 galaxies were visible in a 12 arc minute area!
3
 NGC 6207 Her GX
3.3'x1.7'
12.2B
16 43 04
36 49 56

 

Fairly bright, very elongated, bright stellar nucleus,possible asymmetric appearance.  Located 28' NE of M13. 
4
 HCG 82 Her GX4
0.9'x0.7'
14.6B
16 28 22
32 50 58
NGC 6162 is brightest of four.  All seen in 22" f/4.2.
1
 M13 Her GC
20.0'
5.8
16 41 41
36 27 37

 

Several hundred stars in a 10'-12' diameter with a brightcentral core of 6' diameter.
3
 Abell 39 Her PN
2.9'
13.7P
16 27 33
27 54 33
8" - 200x + O-III: Very faint, round glow with maybe a slightly fainter center.
3
 N6181 Her GX
2.5'x1.1'
12.5B
16 32 21
19 49 29
Fairly bright, moderately large, elongated, gradually increases to small bright core, mottled.
4
 HCG 81 Her GX4
0.5'x0.3'
17
16 18 13
12 48 11
Difficult Hickson group. Either "A" component or probably the combined glow of two or more galaxies was just visible.
4
 HCG 83 Aqr GX5
0.4'x0.2'
17.4
16 35 36
06 15 55
Two brightest members just visible in 22".
1
 M12 Oph GC
16.0'
6.1
16 47 14
-01 56 52
220x highly resolved over the entired isc.  Appears smaller than M10
3
 NGC 6118 Oph GX
4.7'x2.0'
12.4B
16 21 48
-02 17 00
  Moderately large, elongated E. This is a very diffuse object with no concentration and ill-defined edges.
1
 M10 Oph GC
20.0'
6.6
16 57 08
-04 05 58
Beautifully resolved at 220x. The halo appears to extend tonearly 14'.
1
 M 107 Oph GC
13.0'
7.8
16 32 31
-13 03 13

 

Bright globular well resolved at 220x, halo elongated, sharply defined core is circular.
3
 B41 Oph DN
40'
3
16 22 17
-19 37
Diffused dark spot
3
 B251 Oph DN
20'x5'
3
17 13 48
-20° 09'
Dusky; elongated NE and SW, 20'x5'
4
 Abell 40 Oph PN
29"
16.8P
16 48 34
-21 00 51

 

22" f/4 - very faint small round disk that can be seen 75% only with averted vision.
2
 NGC 6235 Oph GC
5.0'
"14.0
16 53 25
-22 10 38

 

Fairly bright, small, 3' diameter, mottled. A few stars resolved at edges of the halo.
3
 B60 Oph DN
13.0'
3
17 11 51
-22 26

 

Curved; extended NE and SW; this and B 57 are the most distinct of a group of dark spots.
3
 B246 Oph DN
20.0'
3
17 12 01
-22 39
Irregular; diam. about 15'
2
 NGC 6287 Oph GC
4.8'
9.3
17 05 09
-22 42 29

 

Fairly bright, irregular, 3' diameter, mottled, no resolution at 280x.  Core is elongated.
1
 M80 Sco GC
10.0'
7.3
16 17 02
-22 58 30
Fairly bright, round, 5' diameter, well-concentrated with abright 1.5' core and an intense 30" nucleus.
2
 NGC 6284 Oph GC
6.2'
8.9
17 04 28
-24 45 53

 

Moderately bright, small, round, 2' diameter, bright core, very small intense nucleus.
3
 NGC 6144 Oph GC
7.4'
13.4
16 27 14
-26 01 29
About 20 stars mag 12-14 resolved at 286x.
1
 M19 Oph GC
17.0'
6.8
17 02 37
-26 16 05
Bright, moderately large globular, breaks up several dozen stars at 220x.
1
 M4 Sco GC
30.0'
5.4
16 23 35
-26 31 31

 

Very bright, very large, 15' diameter. Extremely dense, several hundred stars with many strings.
2
 NGC 6293 Oph GC
8.2'
8.3
17 10 10
-26 34 54
Small, compact, 10-20 stars resolved at 286x and on the verge of more extensive resolution.
2
 NGC 6304 Oph GC
8.0'
8.3
17 14 32
-29 27 44

 

Fairly bright, moderately large, slightly elongated. Brightest portion 2' diameter, appears flattened on the S side.
3
 B245 Oph DN
8.0'
3
17h 11' 55"
-29 34
Round; diffused; diam. 8'; several bright stars in it.
3
 B243 Oph DN
25'
3
17h 09' 46"
-29 34
Very irregular; diam. 25'
2
 B237 Oph DN
1
16 48 55
-29 58

 

Begins about 10' NW of CD -30 13487, runs NE for 37' and then turns abruptly to the E for 18'.
1
 M62 Oph GC
15.0'
6.4
17 01 12
-30 06 33

 

At 171x is set in fine star field. Halo is very irregular and elongated, flattening along SE side.
2
 B241 Oph DN
18'x6'
2
16 59 27
-30 11
Dusky; diffused; 18' long E and W, 6' wide; about 20' W of M 62
3
 B247 Sco DN
4.0'
3
17 13 06
-30 15
Black; diam. 4'.
2
 B234 Sco DN
30'x6'
1
16 46 26
-30 28
Narrow; nearly 1/2 degree long, 6' wide
4
 Abell 38 Sco PN
151"x98"
15.7P
16 23 18
-31 44 58

 

74x and O-III, very dim, circular glow, not hard to hold. No detail. Difficult to distinguish from background. Large (92").
3
 B49 Sco DN
10.1'x4.5'
3
17 02 39
-33 16
Small; close SE of and involving CD -33 11668 (magnitude 9.3).
 

Source catalogs:

Messier, Arp, Abell Planetary, Abell Galaxy Cluster (AGC), Hickson Compact Galaxy (HCG), Sharpless HII Regions, Barnard Dark Nebulae, Herschel 400, Herschel 400-II.

Herschel 400 are identified as NGCXXXX,
Herschel 400-II are indentified as NXXXX.
Descriptions are from the following web-sites:

visitors since August 31, 2007